Pinless clothes-line.



W. G. KENNEDY.

PINLESS CLOTHES LINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY a1, 1913. 1,071,434.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913 WHTNESSES WT Qlfemnedy INVENTOR ATTO R N EY comam PLANOG RAPH 60.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

WILLIAM CAMELLOS KENNEDY, OF NEAR JEWETT, TEXAS.

PINLESS CLOTHES-LINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 31, 1913.

Patented Aug. 26,1913. Serial No. 771,124.

To all whom 2'15 may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. KEN- NEDY, acitizen of the United States, residing near Jewett, in the county ofLeon and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful PinlessClothes-Line, of Which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in pinless clothes lines.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofpinless clothes lines, and to provide a simple, eflicient andinexpensive clothes line consisting of a series of links adapted to bereadily folded when not in use and equipped with a plurality of clothesengaging portions, and adapted to prevent injurious clamping of clothingand other fabrics when the clothes line is subjected to longitudinalstrain.

\Vith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claimhereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ofthe claim, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a pinlessclothes line, constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is aplan View of the central portion of one of the links.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention, the pinless clothes line comprises in itsconstruction a series of links 1, each constructed of a single piece ofwire and consisting of a straight central longitudinal stem 2 and sideportions connected at their outer terminals with the ends of the stem byapproximately semicircular coupling bends 3, which are linked intosimilar coupling bends ofthe adjacent links. Each side portion of thelink extends from the outer end of the stem to the center thereof, andis bent to form an outer or end substantially elongated U-shaped bend4:, a substantially straight intermediate clamping portion 5, and aninner oblong loop 6, the terminal of the wire being coiled around thestem and the intermediate clamping portion 5 at the juncture of thelatter and at the inner side of the loop 6. The outer substantially U-shaped bend 4t cooperates with the adjacent portion of the straight stem2 to form an outer substantially oblong loop and to provide an outerlongitudinal clothes receiving opening to permit the ready insertion ofthe same between the intermediate clamping portion and the stem. Theelongated approximately U-shaped loop forming bend 4 consists of asubstantially straight side and inwardly converging ends, the sidesbeing arranged in substantial parallelism with the main stem and theinner end 7 forming a more or less flaring entrance to facilitate theready insertion of a garment or other fabric between the clampingportion 5 and the stem.

The inner oblong loop 6 is composed of inner and outer substantiallyparallel sides and inner and outer ends, the inner side 8 being arrangedcontiguous to and coacting with the adjacent portion of the main stem toprovide a clamp. The inner end 9 of the loop 6 is curved, and at itsjuncture with the inner clamping side 8 it forms a more or less flaringentrance to facilitate the insertion of the garment or other fabric tobe clamped between the inner side 8 of the loop 6 and the main stem 2.The terminal 10 of each side portion is coiled around the main stem andaround the inner terminal of the intermediate clamping portion 5contiguous to the outer end of the inner loop 6. The coiling of theterminal 10 around the clamping wire and the stem connects both theclamping portions 5 and 8 to the stem and permits the same to springlaterally toward and from the said stem.

The clothes line link through its particular construction provides fourdistinct clamping portions for holding clothes and other fabrics on theline, and the oblong loops stiffen or brace the clamping portionssufliciently to enable the clothes to be positively clamped withoutdanger of injuring the fabrics. The arrangement of the parts are suchthat when the links of a clothes line are subjected to longitudinalstrain, the clamping portions are not affected thereby.

What is claimed is A pinless clothes line including a plurality oflinks, each comprising a straight main stem and side portions extendinginwardly from the ends of the stem and bent to form an outer elongatedsubstantially U- shaped bend, an intermediate substantially straightclamping portion, and an inner oblong loop, the terminal of the Wirebeing coiled around the stem and the said intermediate clamping portionat the juncture of the latter and the oblong loop, said elon- 5 gatedbend being composed of a substantially straight outer side and inner andouter end portions, the inner end being arranged to form an entrance forthe intermediate clamping portion and the said oblong loop consisting ofinner and outer substantially straight sides and connecting ends theinner Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). G.

